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bocman696 – :
The vintage Derby is perhaps the quintessential masculine chypre. It’s mossy, herbaceous, leathery spiciness is very distinctive and unique. It’s one of those rare fragrances with a transportive quality. For me, this takes me back to my childhood in the ’80s. With so many powerhouse fragrances around at that time, it is testament to the quality of this fragrance that it holds up today as a masterpiece. It has a restrained, sophisticated nature that envelops you like the best smelling blanket. Derby is the perfect scent for me and as close to a signature as I will ever likely come. The initial sharp citruses, underpinned by mossy, spicy accords lead to a scent that is both calming and uplifting at the same time.
The reformulated version offers a modern, post IFRA take on the vintage and while that version undoubtedly has it’s place in my rotation, I consider this vintage version as one of the jewels of my collection. Vintage Derby embodies everything that was great about masculine perfumery in the ’80s and is a fragrance that no lover of chypres should be without. Despite it’s EdT concentration, it gives me wonderful performance and has year-round versatility.
Overall, this ranks as one of the finest fragrances ever made. I plan to use my bottle sparingly and lovingly for the rest of my days.
jeneks – :
Really a sensational perfume. I love it – on my husband, and on myself. It’s a masterpiece. So masculine, so elegant, so sophisticated, and yet it smells quite feminine on me! I love it!!!
aleksaiwanow1586755 – :
Stick with the vintage formulation; however, it will cost you anywhere from $275 – $1000.
tanushe4ka2008 – :
I want to begin by saying that the list of notes placed by fragantica is not correct so I will let anyone interested to note that the list really brings vintage Derby:
Top notes: bergamot and orange tree.
Heart notes: spices, snuff and carnation.
Notes: Indian wood, patchouli, birch, oak moss and leather.
Derby is a chypre fragrance with a deep leather agreement that is made in the style of the old school and not unlike any other fragrance that has previously tested.
The departure of bergamot with spices I found very 80´s, then gives a very spicy carnation and deeply elegant floral background point and drying of wood, very leathery and musky makes everything feel a bit gloomy, mature and serious. Barbaro and the very civilized par.
His harmony is that Derby has a very masculine warmth and a classic elegant sensuality and even retro, always keeps an unmistakable refinement that can only make Guerlain.
With Derby happened to me what ever happened to me with any other fragrance: at times I did not like that much, in others it seemed out of date, sometimes I found a nice fragrance, and at other times it seemed a masterpiece.
Derby has been the most intriguing fragrance with which I have ever encountered.
Rating: 8
dron12281979 – :
A woody-flowery-chypre masterpiece from the former times which managed to retain the glory of this genre: artemisia, rose, jasmine, oakmoss, patchouli and sandalwood are the most evident to my nose, all packed in a natural efortless blending to entertain your nostrils and reminds you how real men’s fragrances used to be. Guerlain is one of my preffered houses and its releases never failed me. My humble rank 8/10 ☣☣☣☣.
111ww111 – :
I just spent a bag o cash on a backup bottle of sealed 25 year old derby. why? cuz it’s the greatest – and i mean GREATEST – fragrance ever created, at least to this nose. this ‘new’ bottle is incredible: the scent has deepened and matured while maintaining its balance and vibrancy. the heady mix of bergamot, pepper, leather and oak moss maintains a discreet sillage with impressive longevity of around 8 hours. as much as i love diaghilev and patou homme, this is my holy grail. jean-paul’s magnum opus!
izverg11979 – :
My bottle of Derby from 2010 comes in the Bee bottle. To my nose, it smells more like the notes description here than the ones for the 2011 and 2012 formulations. I am very confused with all these bottles change and reformulations. Can anyone please clarify all these for me? PLEASE!
PhotLottLot – :
Vintage Derby, a great frag? I call bullshit on Derby.
This fragrance is a monotonous nutmeg slog, the spice concentrated over an unremarkable woods accord and dusted with grandma’s old Liz Taylor gemstone body talc. I’ve smelled some amazing fragrances in my time. Derby from 1985 isn’t one of them. If you’re a fan of nutmeg and can’t afford Derby, look into British Sterling, which is roughly $3 an ounce, and still a decent reference for manly nutmeg.
I’ll get back to you on the current Derby reissue.
anzebi – :
GMK, you wrote everything that i want to, about this perfume! Excellent summary 🙂
Bolk – :
It took so long to write about a fragrance of this calibre , Guerlain is the trend setter in perfumery for others and so is Derby and Jicky for Guerlains itself imho.
Apart from the likings or dislikings (as it is a very subjective and vastly varies ) , Derby is a very very complex and rich fragrance which could not be evaluated in a few wearings, I have been wearing it since few months and I am still discovering something new in it on every wearing.
This starts( don’t enjoy the start a lot) very herbal and pungent due to so many spices but majorly i get mace and patchouli which remains so dominant till the drydown kicks in , the drydown is the part which i love , its very Guerlain , smooth , subtle , smokey leather and musky sandalwood with mesmerizing aura of Guerlain’s signature.
A Masterpiece but not for everyone.
Alesia_58 – :
I was able to build a 30 mil atomizer of this classic fragrance, took a few mini’s to build, and over time I blended them all into a really nice atomizer. I decided to wear some classic fragrances for a little while started with some vintage paco r that I had. I am always the first one in so I always put my fragrance on 15 to 20 minutes before anyone comes in, the first lady in always notices what fragrance I am wearing. I try and wear something different everyday as I try out samples and just some that I own. she has been here 8 months and she says, omg that one smells incredible. I think that one is my favorite so far,she said it smells so masculine or manly..i need to get that for my husband surprised me a bit as I have been able to wear some very highly regarded fragrances. I read a lot of the reviews on this wonderful site and try fragrances based on that. I have always loved to smell nice and I think some people don’t notice the difference between aqua velva and aventus. so when I get a compliment like that it makes me revisit a fragrance again. she is right, this is one incredible fragrance. I have still not sampled the newer version but I think it might let me down. so now I am on the hunt for more mini’s of the old bottle. I now see why this got 5 stars from luca turin. you well smell good.
very well done guerlain.
Stiff_21rus – :
@gallian
I do touch Antaeus and Fahrenheit…
I have Fahrenheit and I know Antaeus and I love them both… take a look at my profile… I said I think Fahrenheit worse than Derby… but I didn’t say I don’t like it…
I meant if there is market for a strong cologne like Fahrenheit, Antaeus and Kourós there is a market for Derby…
I know about history and Fahrenheit was created in 1988 and was totally reformulated some years ago… Luca Turin gave 4 stars for the original (it’s not for sale anymore) and 2 stars to the current edition. (Derby has 5)
Fahrenheit repeated many tones of Hermés’ Bel Ami from 1986… and Derby came first in 1985… Fahrenheit and Derby have both citrus top notes and leather base…
Jean Claude Ellena was going to “create” Fahrenheit with a very different and innovator kind of fresh cologne… but he was rejected in the very ending… He was going to replace Fahrenheit for Bvlgari’s Eau Parfumme au Thé Vert… It was going to be released only in 1992! It was a 90’s hit!! In the same year, 1988, Pierre Bourdon would create Cool Water and change all the male colognes’ market with a fresh and lighter scent instead of the 80’s monsters… Dior had the opportunity to breakthrough and change the market… instead they preferred being conservative and playing safe… Currently they proof they were wrong releasing Aqua Fahrenheit… A lighter and fresh version of it. A pure contradiction.
And honestly? I don’t care if Derby was a big commercial failure! Profits doesn’t build a good cologne… Not everybody has good taste for cologne, so it doesn’t mean just because Derby was not popular in the late 90’s it doesn’t deserve to be on the market anymore.
That’s my opinion! It is different from yours… but I didn’t need to insult you calling you uninformed or blind manual follower…
killpainkill – :
I wear the original (1985, eagle bottle) formulation of this edt when I feel like walking through mossy, green woods. Depending on how heavily I dab from the splash bottle, the woods can vary from either heavily overgrown and quite dark — some trees even showing signs of decaying from age — to lighter and less dense, allowing dappled light through and appearances of young, new growth. I look forward to my “strolls” through the forests with Derby, because the paths vary somewhat with each wearing, but they’re all enjoyable and comforting!
radan05 – :
Guerlain, please… it is much better than fahrenheit… bring it back please… it would bring a lot of money stealing market from Fahrenheit, Antaeus and Kouros!!
Luca Turin gave 5 stars… just make a new ad with a savage hot man (Gladiator) and you’ll have a recipe for a rocket success!
qwerfasd – :
the oridinal was awesome! but the refolmulated stinks!!!! guerlain take us for morons!!!!! what happened to the original scent????? shame on you! overpriced cologne for a refolmulated scent! shame on guerlain house!
FSB911 – :
I don’t get it at all. Sorry.
Smells like a cheap version of Van Cleef & Arpels. Reminds me of shaving cream from the 80s.
And yes….I have the old formulation.
msp – :
The original is my favorite. I didn’t notice the citrus notes as much as the spicier ones.. The powdery (powdery in a masculine way) dry down is heavenly and lasting. I want to get more but the price has increase to about 300% since the 1990s. I might break down and get it again. I have a small amount left and wear sparingly.
tulla – :
O Holy Derby! The scent is brightly shining,
It is the day of the dear Saviour’s birth.
Long lay the chypre in sin and error pining.
Till Derby appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, Smell the angel scent!
O Derby divine, the day when Jean Paul Guerlain created Derby;
O Derby, O Holy Derby , O Derby divine!
O Derby, O Holy Derby , O Derby divine!
fzs912Bessinepome – :
در کلاس عطر ها اگر بخواهیم مقایسه بسیار سادهای در نظر بگیریم مردانه باشخصیت اما از خود راضی را در محل کار اداری ومحفل سنگین با شخصیتی خاص خود بیان میکند .
dimon9813 – :
a classic wonderful man scent, that to me does not smell that dated. i think a wonderful masculine prescence is felt with this one, no pretentious unisex fragrance going on . just depends on what you like and what you like projecting about yourself, not a young man type of scent, the price point in my opionion is not justified though, i have been able to locate a few mini bottles, enough to have amassed a decent sized atomizer,i pull this one out every now and again. just a really splendid cologne for a mature gentleman. my compliments mr. guerlain..this one still makes me sit up and take notice..just work on the price please.. i am guessing the samples i have purchased due to the styling of the bottle are older, i am anxious to compare the new one..hopefully will not be dissapointed. i will savor this one and just it sparingly..but i do love this.
stydaytof – :
I have to disagree with Mr. Jason Smith’s assertion that there is no difference in the re-formulated Derby. I have both versions, and there is a substantial change. I find the new version pale by comparison, and without as much staying power. But it’s what we’ve got now.
I love this fragrance. I alternate with Nicolai’s New York, like going between two wonderful lovers. lol.
Lagowas – :
I would prefer Robert Piguet’s Bandit over this….overpriced at the moment for an EDT.
Akva_Titanum – :
I have been messing with a sample of this for a while.I really dont have much to say other then scent is brilliant………
duegrarpela – :
En una frase ”refinamiento hípico”, claro está que esta frase es la que me ha sugerido Derby pues lo encuentro un perfume de estos conservadores, como puede ser la apariencia de un jinete o el deporte de la hípica. Lo que más me encanta de este gran Chipre Cuero que es Derby de Guerlain es su secado, hay que ver como maneja Guerlain el secado de sus perfumes, al contrario de sus notas de salida que en ocasiones son incluso nauseabundas pero sus secados son ”maravillosos” esto me ha sucedido con Habit Rouge y Mouchoir de Monsieur, el primero me olía a tienda de dietética o a productos de limpieza y el segundo un olor fecal pero cuando llegaron a su secado la cosa cambió. Volviendo a Derby he de decir que pese a mis veintidós años fue un amor a primera vista pués pese a sus años que lleva en el mercado no se me hizo old school para nada sino un perfume clásico. Otro de los perfumes mas elegantes que he visto, comparte algo con Equipage de Hermès y Pour Monsieur de Chanel. Mi consejo, es que Derby por su corte de perfume serio es mejor lucirlo en situaciones formales.
Neatmeddepeak – :
Geurlain had a “road show” at Neiman Marcus where I tested a number of fragrances for myself and then tried Derby for my husband. Wow! Forget the husband, this is MINE! Of all the Guerlains I own this is the most elegant. A lovely soft chypre that can be worn all year.
Montilasko – :
Only a few masculine fragrances have been so praised to reach the hype status of Derby, but even a fewer really deserved their place in the Fragrance Olympus. Derby is surely among these. A leather chypre that strikes as extremely sophisticated, sort of restrained but never too mannered or polished. Multi faceted, rich but not overpowering and incredibly harmonious in its complexity.
No need to go through notes explanation as Derby is one of those masterpieces that any perfumista should experience without esitation. Mandatory.
Among the top masculines of all times together with Knize Ten, Kouros, Yatagan and vintage Fahrenheit and surely among my favorite deliveries from Guerlain.
Barbare Et Tres Civilise.
Mesmerizing!
Rating: 10/10
Fralleamn – :
I have mixed feeling about leather type fragrances. If you take Derby, Knize Ten, Cuire de Russie and some lesser leather like ones like Rive Gauche, Leonard & Jules, they all start with stale or bitter top notes of leather and then diverge in their drydown but I do not find anyone particularly wonderful. Derby and Knize open up and obtain some decent chypre qualities that we all can relate to, the others to a lesser extent. I suppose I like the sweeter side of leathers or leather likes, like Aramis.
igtorrent – :
I just noticed, part of the powderiness can probably be attributed to rosewood, which isn’t in the notes list. I smell a powdery rosewood note in Bel Ami and Tiffany for Men as well – hey, you never know!
Polina777 – :
Okay, now it’s time to give Derby a proper review.
This review is of the current formulation in the bee bottle.
Derby is definitely a leather fragrance, and while I’m not quite sure about the chypre aspect of it, there’s a good dose of florals in there. A somewhat powdery rose/jasmine combo hold up the leather and the herbal artemesia in the top; the florals also combine with nutmeg to accentuate the “powdery spice” sort of feel. Contrary to popular belief, I find Derby to actually be kinda subtle. The leather note here is definitely prominent, but it’s more along the lines of the classic “public restroom” leathers I’ve smelled (e.g. Royal English Leather, Cabochard) than anything else. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I really like the artemesia in this one. I don’t get any mint, but I do get some patchouli and sandalwood in the base.
I like Derby, but I’m torn on it. I don’t really know if I’d buy a bottle – it’s just a bit too stuffy for me, and it just doesn’t feel like something I’d wear. Granted, it’s a high quality fragrance. Obviously good raw materials went into the making of it, and it would work great on a distinguished gentleman. That being said, I find it kind of on the weak side sillage-wise (other people can smell it, I can’t after an hour), and it’s a wee bit powdery for my tastes (I expected more leather). There’s also an odd banana-like note that I attribute to the “public restroom” smell.
I apologize for all the weird comparisons, but Derby is a very unique scent, and there really isn’t anything I can rightly compare it to.
Still, I’d give Derby a sniff. It’s worth a smell, if only for experience, but the olfactory fatigue and lack of leather I get from it don’t make it full bottle worthy for me. I’ll definitely try it again in the future, and I’d love to try the vintage version.
Derby would be incredibly sexy on a woman.
gr8686 – :
I expected Derby to be raw, virile, and masculine. What I got instead was a very “plush”, powdery leather chypre that unfortunately sort of reminds me of a porta potty (jasmine and nutmeg can do that on my skin). I’ll probably have to test it from a sprayer, but so far I don’t dig it.
For some reason, my brain is registering “bananas” when I smell Derby.
sanyok7t1 – :
This smell is captivating. It shall be able to imprison the minds of a person. If you are in a room, talking with a person with this cologne on, you can be almost certain that whatever he says must be convincing.
Frosenka713 – :
Reworking review
—//
Presentation: 9/10 (vintage)
Uniqueness: 9/10
Value: 7/10 (new price)
Longevity: 6/10
Projection: 7/10
Smell: 10/10
Overall: 8/10
sabat925 – :
The original is one of my favorites. Powdery, long lasting masculine scent without being over powering
saneng – :
One of the greatest fragrances ever made. Derby is a leather chypre with a distinct mint note running though it. While it is of 80s strength it is no 80s powerhouse. Rather it is a descendent of leather chypres like Diorling and Aromatics Elixir. From a mint/leather opening Derby moves to a floral heart and eventually an oakmoss base. It is clearly a chypre in all phases and the everpresent mint melds perfectly into the chypre structure.
The Les Parisiennes re-issue is good but not as strong or bold as the vintage. Derby may not appeal to those new to fragrance, but consider it a must-try for lovers of chypres and classic masculines.
paskudass – :
Well I think that the lack of reviews here speaks volumes. This is a constantly overlooked beauty from a master, Guerlain. Smoky, woody, elegant beauty. Thank you Guerlain.